1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to structures known as bats, rackets or paddles (hereinafter, “paddles”) for use in ball games. It specifically relates to paddles for use in table tennis or ping pong games.
2. History of the Prior Art in most racquet sports, particularly table tennis and ping pong (hereinafter collectively referred to as “table tennis”, the paddle consists of a flat paddle surface (“blade”) of varying shape attached to, and in the same plane of a handle. As a result of this single plane configuration, any effort to strike a ball so it moves in any direction other than in a perpendicular plane to the player's body, requires the player to twist or bend his or her wrist in proportion to the angle of ball movement which is desired.
In addition, the player's movements are constrained by the need to either rotate the paddle up to 180 degrees or more around the player's body, or to change the hand holding the paddle to allow a backhand shot to be made.
To explain, as opposed to the forehand side of the body, the backhand side is considered to be the one opposite the hand holding the paddle when the player is at rest. Similarly, the backhand side of the paddle is (as opposed to the forehand) that side which faces in the opposite direction of the palm of the hand which holds the paddle. To change play from forehand to backhand, the paddle must be fully rotated around the player's body from its forehand to its backhand side. Not only is this required rotation somewhat awkward to achieve, it also causes the player to lose much of the time available to address the ball to positioning the paddle for play.
Further, the traditional table tennis paddle consists of a substantially cylindrical handle immovably attached to the paddle blade. Except for the possible presence on the handle of cushioning means (such as compressible foam), the handle does not conform to the player's hand. As a result, it can only be gripped by allowing the hand to encompass the handle, leaving the paddle in a substantially perpendicular position with respect to the player's wrist. This particular grip is referred to as the shake hand grip, which is the most used grip in conventional table tennis. As a result, the most comfortable paddle position is not the one best suited for play, thus encouraging fatigue of the player's wrist and hand, in having to tilt the wrist forward to lower the blade to more closely become an extension of the arm.
What is needed, therefore, is a paddle for racquet sports, and particularly for table tennis, which allows the player to comfortably make forehand, backhand, and angled strokes with minimal adjustment of the paddle position.